Here’s what Wrigley Field looks like when you start a game after a three hour, forty minute rain delay. Note: baseball games should not start after a three hour, forty minute rain delay. There were about 750 actual fans in the seats by the time the game ended according to reporters covering the game. Viva the second wild card, rendering this game essential.

I understand why they wanted to get this one in (and the second wild card comment is a cheapie; there’s a game like this every year, no matter how many playoff teams there are), but after a 3:40 delay, what were the field conditions? Had to be risky for the outfielders.

You’re not too far off, Gator. Though I choose to have faith that Theo and Jed will lead this club to glory. Also, Tom Ricketts is as in love with his team as any owner I’ve ever seen. He’s always walking around at games, even in the nosebleeds, and the whole front office seems to have great passion.

…and it went extra innings and lasted till something like 4:40, when it ended on an RBI single by Mitch Williams. That was the official story, anyway. I’m not sure if anyone might have been conscious enough to verify it.

I remember that one. The games were on a Friday of July 4th weekend if I remember correctly. The game actually started @ 1:25 AM. I didn’t see it but my cousin & his son were going to drive down to Virginia after the twin-bill to meet me for a fishing trip. They pulled in about 9:45 AM on Saturday morning, after doing an all-nighter. My cousin’s son swore off baseball after that & became a computer nerd.

I watched a little of it, because it brought back some really nice memories. Yankee Stadium, mid-80’s. Bad team, long rain delay, my $3.50 general admission ticket gets me a seat right behind the dugout after the 3rd inning or so. Happened a few times for me during that period. Once, the rain came during the 2nd game of a twi-night doubleheader (children, you’ll have to look it up, this is when dinosaurs roamed the diamond) — I was behind the visitor’s dugout and turned around to count what remained of the crowd and came up with an estimate around 400. It was a beautiful kind of desolation.

Did you so that widely-circulated photo of the Miami Hurricanes game at Joeprodolsharklife Stadium last week? Four to five hundred, to be generous. I mean, that was execrable attendance even by Feesh standards.

Last game of 1999 season, Reds at Brewers started after a six hour rain delay (start time 3:05, started a little after 9:00). Reds needed win for playoff seeding. Announced attendance over 55,000, maybe a thousand Reds fans and me were there when it ended.

I had actually left the game, went home, had dinner, tucked the kids in bed, then went back to the game when I heard it was going to start. No parking attendant to be seen, ticket taker chuckled when I even presented my ticket.

My favorite is from the mid-1980s. Mets (?) at Braves, July 4th, fireworks scheduled for after the game. Multiple rain delays. I kept dozing off and waking up two hours later, with the game and/or Andy Griffith Show on WTBS. The game ended at something like 4:45 AM, and by God, they set off the fireworks, as promised. Probably scared the sh** out of anyone driving on I-75 at that hour.

Another one was from c. 1998. Reds hosting the Phillies for a twi-nighter due to an earlier rainout. Rain delay during the first game, long delay between games. Reds CEO John Allen gets on the PA and invites the few remaining fans to come down to the blue (box seat) level for the second game. Our whole crew got smashed and spent the whole second game heckling both teams.